Obese children have black spots on their necks, is it something to worry about?

Ask:

My son is 10 years old this year, weighs more than 50kg, recently there are black stains on the back of his neck as if he hasn't been washed clean, is there anything unusual?

Nguyen Hoang Lan ( Hanoi )

Dr. Le Phong, An Viet Hospital replied:

When overweight, obese with acanthosis nigricans in the skin folds, children have a risk of developing type 2 diabetes 5-8 times higher than overweight, obese children without this phenomenon. This is a risk so it is still possible to apply intervention measures to prevent progression to diabetes, so parents should not worry too much.

This disease usually appears in children between the ages of 8-15, and is often mistaken for black patches of skin due to poor hygiene. If not detected early and intervened promptly, the disease can turn into real diabetes - a chronic disease with many dangerous complications.

Currently, the treatment of acanthosis nigricans is still very difficult and there is no specific formula. Interventions and treatments combine many different therapies including psychological, nutritional and endocrine.

First, children need to lose weight through a nutritional regimen. The implementation of a nutritional regimen needs to be based on each individual, whether the child is male or female, how old they are, how physically active they are... to calculate to help children get enough energy and nutrients every day while still ensuring they achieve their weight loss goals.

Parents need to be patient with their children for a long time. When children have controlled their weight and no longer have symptoms of acanthosis nigricans, when they grow up, they still need to continue to follow a scientific and reasonable diet and exercise regimen to maintain a suitable weight.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/tre-beo-phi-co-vet-den-vung-co-co-dang-lo-192240523220650463.htm